Not As It Seems
by lizegan
Summary: Cat Valentine. Cheerful, preppy, girly. Not as it seems. Jade West. Tough, mean, heartless. Not as it seems. Cat would've given up hope years ago, if only Jade West never helped. But this time it has gone to far, Jade will still save her. But can she?


_Cat Valentine was never as happy as it seems. In fact, the complete opposite._

"Guys, do you want to go to this really cute cupcake factory after school?" Cat chirped.

"Um.. Uh.. I'm not really sure, Cat," Tori replied uneasily. She really didn't want to go but she also didn't want to upset the little girl's feelings.

A few meters away, a few cheerleaders were whispering to each others' ears while pointing and looking at Cat. Just then, Jade passed by and happened to see the gossip girls.

"Yeah, she has red hair and she's planning to go to a cupcake factory, at least she has something planned to do, not like you, snotty-faced losers who can only mind others' businesses!" Jade shouted to the cheerleaders. The girls were shocked by the sudden outburst of Jade. They quickly scurried away upon hearing Jade, because it was quite true.

"Thanks, Jade," Cat said softly.

"No problem," Jade replied to her best friend. She replied so casually, yet it was killing her inside that a lot of people insults Cat. Well, yes, she is strange, but she's her best friend. The only person there for Jade when she was a freshman was only Cat. Cat always stands up for Jade. Jade felt like she needed to repay Cat, who was having her own problems.

Suddenly, a group of boys passed by and messed Cat's hair, while mocking her, "Red-haired weirdo!" Jade caught the wrist of one boy and twisted it so hard that it might be broken. The boy was screaming painfully and Jade made him promise to never touch Cat again. But the red-hair had had enough.

"Excuse me," Cat sobbed quietly as she ran to her pink bicycle, tears threatening to fall. Tori and Jade chased after the poor girl to the parking lot, but she was already gone. Tori desperately went to her next class, but Jade didn't give up chasing her friend. She climbed into her black convertible and quickly drove away, though she knew that she would be in every big trouble.

.

.

Jade rang the doorbell for the fourth time, but there was still no answer. Cat had told her that there was always a spare key somewhere around her house, so she searched the bushes and flower pots until she found one. She unlocked the door and didn't even bother closing it as she sprinted up the stairs like a cheetah chasing its prey.

She found a familiar pink door and entered without knocking. She found her friend sitting on the bed, crying her eyes out.

"Hey, Cat," she said, while walking over and sitting down on the white sheets. She wrapped a friendly hand around her crying friend and hugged her gently. _Who knew that Jade can be so kind and gentle? Only her best friend. "_I brought some ice cream, strawberry-flavored, just how you like it. Want to go down and eat it while watching some comedies?"

"Not now, Jade," Cat shrugged Jade's hands off her shoulders. "But, thank you."

"Look, everything's gonna be fine, okay Cat?" Jade tried to assure her sobbing friend.

"No! Jade, you never understand! It never did! Never!" Cat screamed. She forcefully pulled open her drawer and took out a pair of pink scissors, which was stained deep red.

"No, I'm not going to let you do that, you lost too much blood already! You collapsed four times already at class!" Jade pulled away the sharp object.

"Jade, please, I need it!"

"You don't. You never did. Now we're going to go downstairs, eat ice cream while watching _I Married My Mom_ or anything you like, and make you happy, okay?" Jade replied as she put back the scissors into the drawer.

"O-kay," Cat said between sobs. "I'll be back as soon as I've changed. You can go down and choose the movie."

"Kay," Jade waved goodbye as she exited the room. She never wanted to leave Cat alone. Cat forced a smile, but no one ever knows if that might be the _last _smile she might ever have on her face.

.

"Cat it's been half an hour already, why aren't you done changing?" Jade called from downstairs. For what seems like the millionth time, there was no reply. Jade sighed as she fell down to the couch, thinking about what happened in the room. _Why is she taking so long? It doesn't take a year to just change. _Jade took out her favorite scissors from her school bag and began cutting the edges of her hair. _Scissors. _She frowned. _Scissors. I put Cat's scissors back to the drawer. Oh, darn! she must've tricked me to leave so she can cut! How stupid am I to leave the scissors and leave her! Oh no, shit! _

Jade rushed up the stairs, hoping it wasn't too late.


End file.
